The people over at SleepingInAirport.net have been compiling the best and worst of airport overnights for the past 15 years with Beirut’s airport making it into the top 5 Middle East airports in terms of ‘snooze-ability’. Here is 2011’s top 5:
1. Dubai
2. Tel Aviv
3. Riyadh
4. Beirut
5. Manama
And here are the worst 5:
1. Jeddah
2. Tehran
3. Sharjah
4. Dammam
5. Damascus & Sanaa (tied)
I’ve never known or seen anyone turning in for the night at BEY – based on the dust and cobwebs around the transfer desk airside, I see very few reasons to turn your carry-on to your pillow for a little shut-eye but it has been done. Here’s a tip from one experienced airport sleeper:
The chairs in the waiting [landside departure] lounge are not very comfortable, but if you walk to the upper floor and turn right, just next to the toilets you can find a corridor with lots of space to roll out your sleeping pad and a sleeping bag. In this corridor there are no announcements broadcast! Security was aware of our presence, but ignored us. I had a very good nights’ sleep, one of the best ever in the airports.
The other spot worth recommending (if you’re a male) would be the prayer room with carpets, however it was full of local men sleeping there and because of cultural reasons (Muslim country and 2 girls in our group of 4) we decided to give a go to the toilet corridor.
If you have hit the sack at an airport, SleepingInAirports.net are now compiling their 2012 list. We’ll have to wait and see if Beirut keeps its mark.
Beirut Airport Interior